Developing a reliable golf stroke can be a difficult task for both amateur and professional golfers. One of the keys to teaching a good golf stroke is maintaining consistent body alignment throughout the stroke. However, it can take years of practice to cultivate a consistent technique that is imprinted to muscle memory. To overcome this difficulty, some golfing aids have been developed to help golfers train and develop consistent golf strokes.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,099 (Radakovich) discloses a device for facilitating correct swinging of a golf club. The device comprises an elastic loop which is donned over the head of the player with the major portion of the loop resting over the chest, abdomen and on top of the shoulders. The rear of the loop is affixed to the body of the player so that the loop is disposed away from the neck, approximately at the height of the third vertebrae of the back (spine). In play, the handle end of the club is laid inside the elastic loop and pushed downward and outward by the left hand and arm stretching the elastic loop as much as possible. According to Radakovich, swinging the golf club against the upward pull exerted by the elastic loop produces the surprising effect of improved control of the golfer's arms which allegedly results in a nearly perfect swing plane and leveling and squaring up of the golf club face.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,184 (Johnson) discloses a golf swing training device that includes a grip, an elastic cord loop, a neck pad, and an adjustment mechanism. The grip is a conventional golf club grip. The elastic cord loop is secured at the narrow end of grip. The adjustment mechanism allows the length of cord loop to be selectively adjusted for a particular golfer. The neck pad includes straps, through which the elastic cord loop is inserted. The neck pad can also double as a carrying case for the grip and cord loop. The neck pad includes a sleeve closed at one end by a flap. Johnson also disclosed a method of improving a golfer's swing, comprising the steps of: gripping the grip; extending the elastic cord loop around a golfer's neck; attaching the ends of the cord loop to one end of the grip; holding the grip at an address position, with the elastic cord loop attached at the lower end of the grip, and with the elastic cord loop having sufficient tension to resist further movement of the lower end of the grip away from the golfer's head; and simulating the portion of a golf swing before and after impact where the wrists of the golfer release, in a manner that the elastic cord loop retains tension throughout the swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,803 (Leadbetter et al.) discloses a golf training device for training a golfer to execute a putting stroke. The device includes a neck engaging member, a longitudinal strap having a first end attached to the neck engaging member and a free end. The strap includes a weighted ring which causes the strap to hang downwardly in a vertical direction when the neck engaging member is placed around the neck of a golfer and used during the execution of a putting stroke. According to Leadbetter et al., in use, a golfer grasps the strap holding it firmly against a handle of a golf club thereby fixing the distance between the hands and his shoulders, neck and head, which allegedly ensures a repetitive consistent putting stroke.
In spite of these known devices, there is a need for an improved golfing aid for training putting and chipping strokes.